Sight and Sound: The Souvenir is first British film in 10 years to top annual best of list

The BFI’s international magazine Sight & Sound has named its top 10 films of the year.

One hundred international critics, programmers and academics who contribute to the magazine voted in the poll, which includes films released in the US as well as the UK.

This year marks the first British victor since Steve McQueen’s Hunger was awarded the top spot in 2008: Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir.

In second place is Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, which will not be released in the UK until February, while Martin Scorsese’s Netflix drama The Irishman sits at third.

Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood proved a big draw for voters, finishing in fourth place.

Other films in the top ten include Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain & Glory (sixth), Jordan Peele’s horror film Us (ninth) and Atlantics (seventh), which is released on Netflix today (29 November).

Portrait of a Lady on Fire, which has received plenty of acclaim following its debut at Cannes Film Festival, is in fifth place.

Rounding out the top 10 is British film Bait and Vitalina Varela, from Portuguese director Pedro Costa.

Just missing out on the top ten was Uncut Gems, Marriage Story and The Lighthouse.

Hogg called the news an “honour and a pleasure”. She added: "The success of The Souvenir has been in no small part due to the passionate support of its many champions within the industry."

Last year’s winner was Roma.

The top 50 will be published in Sight & Sound’s next issue, available to buy digitally now.

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